Can podcast awards really boost your reputation, and what happens when you return to podcasting after years away? David Hooper shares stories, listener letters, and hard-won insights in this episode of Big Podcast Playbook ...
Big Ideas in This Episode
- Game podcast awards for envy-inducing credibility
- Micro-fame: win an award with only 50 votes
- Awards hype: open doors, but hollow inside
- Quit for years? Return with even more power
- Feel like a beginner again ... and win
- Old podcast kings return: threatened or inspired?
- Your fans crave glory too ... give it to them
Why You Should Listen
- The hidden reason winning podcast awards can make your audience obsessed with you (and how to exploit it for massive loyalty)
- Why most awards are "vanity metrics" — and the sneaky little trick to use them for big-time credibility
- The under-the-radar method to game nearly any awards system (without breaking a single rule)
- "Best None of the Above"? How targeting obscure categories can make you a legend
- What elite podcasters do to turn tiny wins into doors flung open ... while you're still begging outside
- How to use jealousy to make your fandom fight for your honor (and skyrocket your reach overnight)
- The Cinderella story: coming back to podcasting after years in the abyss (Are you doomed or destined for a comeback?)
- Want a tribe who worships every word? Learn the community-building move that'll make your podcast listeners ravenous for more
- The one mistake fresh podcasters make when chasing awards (and how you can profit from their failure)
- Why the rules of podcasting have changed forever (and how industry dinosaurs will never see you coming)
- The real secret to regaining power after you've disappeared from the scene (and how to turn your absence into envy-fueled advantage)
- Why your rusty "return" is your most powerful superpower ... if you remember this one thing
- How seasoned hosts quietly outmaneuver the young hotshots ... with less effort and a bigger payday
- The hidden cost of burning yourself out (and why laziness just might lead to long-term podcasting power)
- The quickest way to get your confidence and voice back (plus a little-known daily ritual almost no podcast coach will tell you about)
Episode Timestamps
- [00:01:47] How winning podcast awards is actually more about community building than personal achievement (and how few votes it really takes to win!)
- [00:02:10] The untold story of how a niche Renaissance Festival band topped the global charts thanks to a "Lord of the Rings" tune (and what it reveals about gaming online popularity)
- [00:04:46] The eye-opening truth: It might only take five votes to become an award-winning podcaster ... and how one "crappy" album cover won five times!
- [00:07:00] The secret behind accepting an award in an empty arena—how one podcaster created viral excitement by live streaming his own victory.
- [00:08:52] The Christopher Cross "curse" ... why the Best New Artist Grammy went from a shrine to a closet, and what it teaches you about chasing external validation.
- [00:13:00] How coming back to podcasting after years away makes you a different (and potentially better) creator, and why embracing that transformation is your secret edge.
- [00:20:18] The real reason podcasters get stuck after a break: feeling like a beginner again, and David Hooper's battle plan for getting your groove (and confidence) back faster than you think.
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